Skid boot for horses



June 27, 1950 R, Q EGGEMAN 2,512,925

SKID BOOT FOR HORSES Filed Deo. 16, 1948 JNVENTOR. /9`* BY/Qnf/WEGE'MAN [n L my Eg. 4. Arme/VFY Patented June 27,A 1950 l'y [UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE l SKID 150021.` Fort HoRsEs y Robert G. Eggeman, Westminster, Colo. Application December 16, 1948, serial No. 65,680

Claims. l

This invention relates to improvements in protective coverings for the legs of horses, and the like, and more particularly to a boot for protecting the pastern joint and fetlock.

Horses and other quadrupeds of this genus of` animal have at the rear of the legs and slightly ybelow the ankle, or pastern joint, and below the fetlock, a small button-like formation. This formation contains certain delicate nerve centers, which, if injured, sometimes causes permanent disability of the animal-to most effectively walk or run.

Horsemanship in general, and more particularly in exhibitions, such as horse races, rodeos, and 'the like, requires that the equestrian cause the Ahorse to stop quickly at times to achieve certain desired maneuvers, and there is a natural tend- ;ency during these maneuvers for the horse to engage the nervei'ormationv with the ground, which results in abrasion and injury thereto.

Figure 5 is a section taken on line 5 5, Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective, partly in section, taken on line 6 6, Figure 4;

Figure 7 is a section taken on line 1 1, Figure 4.

Figure 8 is a rear elevation of an alternative form of skid boot, similar to Figure 2, but to a reduced scale; and

Figure 9 is a similar view of another alternative form'.

Referring in detail to the drawing, there is shown in Figure 1, the legl of a horse, which includes the shank I0, the pastern joint II, the pastern I2, and the hoof I3. This joint is provided with the skid boot I4, the rear portion Protective devices known as skid boots, running boots, or heel boots are now in use which are intended to prevent this deleterious result, but they are not fully satisfactory in all respects. lOne of the principal disadvantages is the lack of flexibility in the boot which prevents free and unrestricted movement of the pastern joints. This, of course, prevents movement of the 'joint in its most natural manner and hence deprives the horse of its most efcient movement of the leg joints. manner of reinforcing the boot which causes it to wear out in certain places long before the remaining portions of the boot have served their full and potentially useful rlife. Another disad- Another disadvantage resides in the vantage resides in the high initial cost for the relatively short, useful life obtained.

.The principal objects of the invention, therefore, are to obviate these and other disadvantages and provide a skid boot which is inexpensive in initial cost, subject to'be manufactured Afrom readily available materials, is so con' structed that substantially no restraint against movement is encountered at the lpastern joint, and the skid boot will have relatively uniform wear in its various parts and hence increased useful life.

Other objects, advantages, and salient features will become more apparent from a consideration of the specification to follow, the appended claims and the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the rear leg of a horse, or other similar animal, showing the skid boot, which forms the subject of the invention, attached thereto;

Figure 2 is an enlarged rear elevation of the skid boot, shown removed, taken on line 2 2, Figure 1;

V Figure 3 is a side elevation thereof;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary front elevation,

taken in the direction of arrow 4, Figure 3;

thereof covering and protecting the delicate button previously referred to, which fits into the rearwardly bulging portion of the skid boot.

The 'skid l:boot comprises a pair of members I5, I6, of resilient sheet' rubber which abut each other and are secured together along their rear edges, or heel portion, by a strip of rubber' 1, disposed on thev inner sidev thereof, and a strip of leather I8 on the outer side, thread stitching I9 extending through the strips and sheets. Coverings`f20, 2|, of leather underlie strip I8 along the rear of the boot and the stitching I9 also extends through these coverings to secure them to the rubber sheet members.

Covering 2| extends' around one side of the boot, as best shown in Figures 1 and 5 and is provided at its end with a buckle'22 secured thereto in any suitable manner, such as by a short strap loop 23. Stitching 24, adjacent the edge of covering 2| extends through the cover-l ing and rubber sheet I6 to secure them together. Covering 20, on the other side of the boot, is substantially the same shape as covering 2|, but as shown in Figure 3, terminates short of :leather buckle I strap 25 to provide an unreinforced resilient portion of rubber 26. The reinforcing coverings 20, 2| are turned over .the lower edge of the boot as shown in Figures 4 and 6 to form a marginal portion 21. Stitching 28 extends through this marginal portion, the rubber sheeting, and the opposite side of the leather coverings, to unite them into a unitary structure along the lower edge of the boot.

The topleft corner of the boot, as viewed in Figure 1, is provided with a piece of leather 29 which has secured thereto, in the same manner, as buckle 22, a pair of buckles 35 this leather being stitched to rubber sheet Iby a row of stitching adjacentvthe edge of the leather. The piecer of leather 29 terminates short of strip I8, asshown in Figure 2, to provide an unreinforced resilient portion of rubber at 30. The other sheet v|15 has stitched thereto a piece of leather 3| which carries a pair of integral buckle straps 32 which engage with buckles 30. This piece of leather also terminates short of strip I8 to provide another unreinforced resilient portion in the sheet as designated by reference numeral 33.

To thev inside of the boot, as best shown in FiguresI 4' and 5, a sponge rubber pad 34 is cemented which covers and protects the sensitive button previously referred to.

wrapped around the pastern joint and strap 25 is secured to buckle 22, the-lower-portion of'V the boot surrounding the pasternzofthe-leg, that is that portion between the pastern joint and secured together by the strip I8, any other securing means may also be used such as herringbone lacing of leather thong material, which extends through? holes,r pierced, inthe edgesof the rearvertica'l edges of the covering parts. Also, if desired the coverings 2D, 2|, may be formed of a single piece of material and the In applying the skid boot to an animal,it isi,4

the top of the hoof, or coronet. The top strapsA 32'\ similarly engage buckles 30', these passing around the leg-above the; pasterm joint and,l surrounding the shank I of the leg. The straps are tightened to lsuitably'tension" thefrubber'sheeting` for.` fasnug but comfortable-Intl. InsO-doingthe'unreinforced portionsVA 30,-; 3.3, at :the-top or the boot,v and1 the portion 25 at the bottom may be stretchedl as desired;- These-portions thus-provide aresilient connection' in g, eachl of the connecting `bands-at spaced points along the leg which; permitiree iiiexingofthe pastern-joint butstillfmaintain a comfortable resilient lt of the boot on the leg;VY 1x1-addition to @the resilience vafforded portions 3.lI,=--3.3;,-k and-2t; in a horizontal jplane,Y -the sheetingralso has resilience ein a vertical plane. Thatis, since-'the sheetsfl5,i6,:may 'stretch in theareas shownratfs and 36in a vertical direction', it is; apparent 4that qthere Tis .a .resilient force acting-betweenstrapsez and 3gp-thus as the pasternv joint ilexes, straps-25'l and 32-tend to oscillate'towardand from eachfbther-as they move apart, flexingiportions and 2B., and as they move together,A the-flexure decreasing. This two-way stretch or-universallexure' in sheets I5- and IS is very` important-since-'it provides'a snug but vcomfortable nt of.I theboot, regardless of-thef'amount of bendingat thefpasternjoint.

Theaturned'; under margin Z'Ifof; leather also reinforces; the lower edge offthe-boot, where it receives severe abrasion. WhenY the 'horse stops quickly and thereinforcingjportions.20,2l, engagestheground the flower Yrear edge of the boot receives-v severe scuffing and abras-ion. If `the turnedvr over margin were not provided, there would be a tendencyrto rip-the;l stitching along the loweredgefand` also unduly wear, the boot at this point. This margin, however, strengthens the bootl along this edge,A and reduces the tendency tofwear it.l

In Figure 8 is shown. an :alternativeI form of skid boot. Thisformis identical to that shown in Eigures 1to '7 except that the ,rubberv sheeting asinglepiece land ,not joined together at vthe reaias inlthe previous embodiment. The leather strip IBa., overliescoverings 2D, 2l but does not extend/'to the top of. thevboot. With thisfconstruction the joining. of the two pieces o f sheeting is eliminated and theportions 30, 33.f,0,1`m a, continuous resilient bandwithout interruption between the buckle portion 29 andlbllckle strap portional.

Another alternative `form is shown in Figure 9, this being the same as in Figure 8 except'that portions of the sheeting are eut away so that the top portion 30, 33 is secured to the'lower portion by straps 35a, 36a which perform the same function as portions 35'and 35 in Figures 1 to 8. This construction utilizes less material V,and would be somewhat moreflexible than the former constructions.

While the covering parts 20, 2t are shown yvertical stitching at the rear eliminated.

Other modications will become apparent thespeciic structure disclosed except as dened within-the scope of theappended claims.

Having described theinvention what is claimed as fnew is:

'13A skid:-boot:comprising:"agsheetof l11117010@ formedto cover rearp and? side portions; of, 'the pastern joint Vorahorse, a; leatherrmemberfoverf lying tthe sheet andfsecu-red theretmsaidanember covering rear and'side portions of pthe` joint; a buckle` secured to one endiof said meinberga buckle strap adapted-to engagethe buckle, securedf'to the's'heetf in fsp'ace'dfrelationto saidf |-mer'nber to provide'a resilient*portion'I offtheshe'et there'- between, 1 and. a buckle and? bucklestrap 5 secured to the sheet adjacent its upper edge in spacedn'ree lationftothe member to provide-anotherfresilient portion.` offthe` sheetitherebetween', thev` construe# tion-'being such that the' rubberfsheet'resiliently secures fthe' boot t'o f the joint a,`b'ovef" and below same' in'a directioniarund'fthe leg fand'als'o resili'ently urges 'thebootv securingstrapsftoward eachother in a direction' longitudinally of-.ithefleg when -f'thefstrap's aref distortedapartz 2;' A" skid boot'i in' accordancewithclairn 1 wherein the sheet ofrubber is asin'glerpierzerv 3: A vskid boot in 'accordance'A with"I claim 2 whereinA the 'sheetof Vfrubloer" Visfc-utalwayfto provide at leastl two 'st-rap'elikeportionsi'connecting the'upp'erfbuckle' and-bucklel strap t'o the cverin'g.

45A skid boot ini-'accordance' withf=relai-1nH 1 wherein the rubberfsheeti's formed'of twoy pieces joined together at the rean'of the 'boots 5. lA 'skid'boot comprising, a sheet off-rubber formedy to cover rear tand@ side? portionsi ofi the pastern'joint of a" horse,I a leather me'mb'enoverlynglthe'f sheet'andfsecured thereto, said "member coveringJ rear' and iside'- fpo'rtions of, A theirl joint; 'la lower-buckle secured' tov one end' :of-said member, a lower buckle'str'ap 'secured'to the sheet adapted to engage the' buckleg an'dia'n* upper buckle and buckle strap secured "to 'the shetiad'jacent'its upper =edge 'in spaced relationfto the l member-to provide a' resilient portion of ktheisheet `therebetween; the' construction-being such` that therubber ksheet resiliently secures'theboot to the joint above'sarne'in a' direction around'lthe :leg andialso resiliently urges 'the' upper' and'r lower straps: to ward? each; other. vinY a direction` longitudinally of the legwhen'the strapsfaneY distorted apart.

f ROBERT-GsEGGEM-An REFERENCE Si; cri-E111-V The f' y'following references f are off.Y record ln'the file of'this patent: Y

" UNITED STATES :e'A'I'Eirrs` 

